Steam-engine.



C. w. SMITH. STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. I8 I9I5.

l ,QUIQTQ A Patented Dc.- I2, 1916.

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C. W. SMITH.

STEAM ENGINE.

v APPLlCATlON FILED ]AN.1H.1915 Y LQQ?. Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

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mlflflml HARLIE 'W'. SMITH, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

STEAM-ENGINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

Application led January 18, 1915. Serial No. 2,853.

To all whom t may concern y Be it known that I, CHARLIE W. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

rllhis invention relates to improvements in multiplek cylinder steam engines and more particularly to a valve to be employed with a compound engine whereby each cylinder may be caused to operate separately or in the usual manner of a compound engine.

The objects of this invention are to provide a novel means whereby a compound engine may be given increased power when needed by causing each cylinder to operate directly and to automatically increase or decrease the power of the engine in accordance with the load.

The advantages of this construction are obvious. The normal speed of the engine will be reached quicker in starting by using both cylinders acting separately and after the normal speed has been reached the engine will automatically be converted into a compound engine. While travelingat normal speed should any additional load occur the compound engine will be automatically converted into two separate engines as long as the load is carried and then automatically reconverted back again.

Another advantage is that this invention may be applied to compound engines now in existence and does not necessitate a complete reconstruction of the parts.

While the preferred forms of this invention are illustrated upon accompanying sheets of drawing, yet it is to be understood that minor detail changes may be madeV within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the scope thereof.

Figure lis a view in vertical longitudinal section taken through two cylinders of a compound engine to which this invention has been applied, with parts broken away and with parts shown in side elevation, illustrating the relations of the parts when both cylinders are acting separately and independently, gFig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the cylinders connected to operate as a compound engine. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view of a modified form of manual control.

The drawings illustrate the high pressure and low pressure cylinders 1 and 2 of a conventional compound engine having pistons 3 mounted upon a common piston rod l and provided with the usual steam chests 5 and 6 and eccentric operated slide valves 7 and 8 therein operating in the usual manner. The means as contemplated in this invention for connecting both cylinders Vdirectly to the source of steam supply or connecting the exhaust of the high pressure cylinder to the steam chest of the low pressure cylinder comprises an intercepting valve preferably mounted upon the steam chest of the low pressure cylinder, however this valve may be located at any desired point between the low pressure cylinder and the source of steam supply. As illustrated this intercepting valve comprises a valve casing 10 mounted upon the top of the steam chest of low pressure cylinder. Within the intercepting valve casing four pistons 11, 12, 13, and 14: are mounted rigidly upon a common piston rod 15, one piston at each end respectively of the rod and two arranged at intermediate portions therebetween dividing the casing into three chambers A, B, and C.

The main steam pipe 20 from the source of steam supply enters the steam chest 5 of the high pressure cylinder in the usual manner a branch 21 from the main steam pipe is led to the intercepting valve and adjacent the entrance of this branch steam pipe to the intercepting valve casing an intermediate steam pipe 22 leads to the steam chest 6 of the low pressure cylinder. A pipe 23 leading from the exhaust of the high pressure cylinder enters the casing of the intercepting and leading from the interior of the valve adjacent thereto is a supplementary exhaust pipe 24. An exhaust pipe 25 leads from the exhaust of the low pressure cylinder in the usual manner.

An operating valve for the intercepting valve is mounted to reciprocate in a casing 30 upon the top of the intercepting valve casing. This valve comprises a piston rod 31 extending through one end of the casing upon which are mounted spaced-apart pistons. From the bottom of each end of the operating valve casing ducts 32 and 33 lead to the corresponding ends of the intercepting valve casing 10 and from the opposite ends of the upper portion of the operating valve casing exhaust ports are connected by pipe 34 to the exhaust 25 from the low pressure cylinder. A steam admission port is provided at the center of the valvecasing 30 which is connected by small pipe 35 to the branch steam pipe 21 before Vit enters the intercepting valve casing.

When theengine is kat rest the parts of the operating and intercepting valve assume the position shown in Fig; 1. In this position the pistons of the operating valve are at the endof their movement in one direction which will conducty the steam entering fromthe branch pipe 35 around the valve between the pistons and through the steam ductV 32 to the corresponding end of the intercepting valve casing which will force the pistons therein to the opposite end of the casing. rilhe steam duct 33 leading from the opposite end of the casing to the operating valve will be connected to the eX- haust port therein. ln this position the steam enteringthrough the branch 21 from the main steam pipel passes into the central chamber B, within the intercepting valve casing and from there through the intermediate steam pipe 22 into the steam chest 6 of the low pressure cylinder. rihe exhaust from the high pressure cylinder passes through the pipe 23 leading into a chamber A at one side of the central chamber and from there through the supplemental exhaust pipe 24 into the atmosphere. The low pressure cylinder exhausts in the usual manner through the usual exhaust pipe 25.

It willbe seen in Fig. 1 that the high pres'- sure cylinder operates in the usual manner and that the low pressure cylinder operates separately and independently.

The operating valve is actuated by a ball l. governor 40 which is rotated by a belt or chain connection 41 to a rotating part of the engine. TheV gearing between the ball gov- Vernor and moving part of the engine is such that when the engine reaches a certain speed the centrifugal action of a ball governor will draw the pistons ofan operating valve to the other end of their movement. When the piston of the operating valve is moved to the other end Vfrom that shown in Fig. 1 the parts of the intercepting valve will assume they position asshown in Fig. 2. In this position steam entering from the branch steam pipe 21 will pass through 'thel pipe 35 Vinto the operating valve casing 30, between the pistons and into the steam duct 33 leading to the corresponding end of the intercepting valve casing 10. This will force the pistons therein to the opposite end of the casing and the steam duct 32 leading from that end of the easing 10 to the operating valve casing will be in communication with the exhaust pipe 34 therefrom. In this position the exhaust pipe 23 from the high pressure cylinder will enter the central chamber B within the intercepting valve and will be placed in communication with the intermediate pipe 22 leading to the steam chest 6 of the low pressure cylinder. The intermediate exhaust 24 from the intercepting valve will communicate with the chamber A at one side of the central chamber while the branch steam pipe 21 will be in communication with the chamber C at the opposite side. It is therefore seen that the engine will now operate as a compound engine as the steam entering the high pressure cylinder passes through this exhaust 23 into the intercepting valve chamber B and from there through pipe 22 to the steam chest 6 of the low pressure cylinder and is exhausted therefrom through the usual exhaust pipe 25.

Whenever the speed of the engine decreases from the normal the centrifugal arms of the small governor will drop and move the operating valve pistons in the opposite direction through a bell crank lever 42 connected to the piston rod 31. The cylinders of the engine will then operate separately and independently until the normal speed has been regained.

If desired the loperating valve pistons may be actuated manually by a hand lever 50 and connecting rod 51 leading therefrom to an operating lever 52 connected to the operating valve piston rod 31, as illustrated 105 in Fig. 3.

What I claim is VAn intercepting valve for compound steam engines adapted to be interposed between the high and low pressure cylinders 110 comprising a casing provided with ports leading to the steam pipe, the low pressure cylinder, the exhaust of high pressure cylinder, and to the atmosphere respectively, a series of pistons therein mounted upon the llt` common piston rod, the relation of the pistons and ports being such that in one position of the pistons the steam and low pressure ports, and the two exhaust ports respectively are in communication on opposite 120 sides of a piston, and in another position the high pressure exhaust and low pressure cylinder ports are in communication and the steam and exhaust ports are separated therefrom and from each other by the 125 pistons, and an operating valve comprising a casing secured to the intercepting valve casing having ducts leading to each end of the intercepting valve casing and having exhaust ports provided at each end of the 130 operating valve casing With a. central steam pistons therein to the other end of the casadmiesion port, a piston in the casing, ing, as and for the purpose set forth. 10 means to move the piston in one direction In testimony whereof ax my signato admit Steam through the duct to one end ture in presence of tWo Witnesses.

f of the intercepting valve to move the pis- CHARLIE W. SMITH.

tons therein and in another direction to ad- Witnesses: mit steam through the duct to the opposite MERRILL T. MILLER, end of the intercepting valve and move the Gr. L. BOWLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

